"It is impossible not to be influenced by the world around you. What you have seen, heard, smelled, felt, touched, read, done has created a permenant engram in your brain. Your brain, the giant file cabinet where you have stored your life's experiences. The trick is to know where the files are kept and how to retrieve them when you want to utilize them in the creative process."

Emilio Ruiz

“Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery - celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from - it’s where you take them to."